GREENVILLE, Maine — The 10th annual Plum Creek Wilderness Sled Dog Race set for this weekend has been canceled, organizers said Thursday in a news release.
Rainfall combined with above-average winter temperatures have left the 70 miles of sled dog trails relatively bare, which resulted in the need to cancel.
The Greenville event originally was scheduled for Feb. 6 but was postponed to Saturday after heavy rainfall and warm temperatures melted away prime trail conditions just a few days before the race date.
After reassessing trails and with the upcoming weather pattern, organizers were forced to cancel the 2016 race and associated activities entirely.
The wilderness race governing board noted that the most recent trail inspection found conditions were inadequate to safely run dog teams on the 70-mile and 30-mile race courses. With no significant snow accumulation predicted, trails were not expected to improve much in the near future.
The date for the 2017 Wilderness Sled Dog Race has been set for Feb. 4.
The annual race is organized by the Wilderness Sled Dog Racing Association, a Greenville nonprofit group. For more information, visit the www.100milewildernessrace.org, email wildernessrace@gmail.com or call Bethany at the Greenville Town Office at 695-2421.